I’m a writer, teacher, editor, and mother (and wife and daughter and sister and friend…the list goes on and on). Primarily, I write aboutmotherhood: the dark side, the humorous side, the places where these two intersect. I love finding good writing that combats the myths of motherhood still perpetuated in our society and speaks honestly about what it’sreallylike to be a mother.

I have an MFA in creative writing from the University of Minnesota, where I taught literature and creative writing. I currently teach a variety of classes atThe Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, and I teach Motherhood & Words® online. Visit myteachingpage to learn more about my upcoming classes.

What kind of responses have you received for Use Your Words? Tell us why you focused on mothers and their writing specifically.

How do you set up and run your classes?

“It’s Not a Hobby: Writing and the Value of Non-paid Work” in the anthology Women Writing on Family: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing (2012).

Tell us some of the insights from this article – I think many of us feel inferior as artists because our culture rewards high incomes causing us to monetize everything we do. What is your opinion?

Tortured Sentence:

An email I received:

Hello,

This is J——, I want to you install some new electronics i bought for my new apartment which include a ceiling fan, 64 inches plasma TV, 8 wall light and 10 power point(socket). . Also i would like to know if you accept credit card as payment.. Reply me if you are available for the work with your quote and company address.

thank

Word of the week:

With that in mind, this week we give you five words that can be used as insults. But like all weapons, remember it’s best to use these words only in self-defense and with restraint.

furfuraceous

PRONUNCIATION:

(fuhr-fyuh-RAY-shush)

MEANING:

adjective:
1. Covered with dandruff.
2. Flaky.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin furfur (bran, flake). Earliest documented use: 1650.

USAGE:

“When she looked at the photographs of raging urticaria and furfuraceous rashes, she teetered between repulsion and captivation.”
Dashka Slater; The Wishing Box; Chronicle Books; 2010.

From www.wordsmith.org

Prompt:

Favorite drink – write an ode to a favorite drink, or a story, why do you keep ordering Harvey Wall-bangers? Did you upgrade to something more adult, like single malt scotch only to long for those good old daiquiri days? Why do some alcohol beverages confer more machismo than others?

Are you man enough for a pomegranate daiquiri or are you nursing the bourbon and water even though you don’t like the taste?

Send in a paragraph based on today’s prompt for a chance to win a paperback copy of Kate’s book: Ready For Air. Email to podcast@newbiewriters.com

Shout Outs:

Leslie McKelvey with Black Velvet Seductions for giving me two shout outs during her blog tour for Accidental Affair.